Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-09-28
The Prospector.

gives the uninitiated a vague idea OF the
Life Of prospector and what is ne
cessary to become gold hunter. We
extract the following from the letter
in which it is evident the author is not
tenderfoot:
1.-THE prospector combines in himself
all the romance Of frontier life. Though
the main object Of his existence is the
seeking Of hidden treasures in the shape
Of mines Of gold, silver, copper and even
lead, he is incidentally a hunter, a
scout, perchance an Indian fighter,
but above all he is gambler. He
CANDLES away years Of his existence,
lives the life of recluse, and travels
from the TERRA Caliente of Mexico to
the frigid steppes of Alaska on the
chance that some day or other he may
''strike it rich," make his ''pile" and go
home to the states to enjoy it. How
often, while sitting around the roaring
camp fire, have not listened, amused to
hear old prospectors discussing what
they would do with the $4,000 900 they
expected to get for the Side Wiper or
the Plumed Knight, or whatever it might
be, when they got to New York. Cham
payne was always to supplant whisky
and an aristocratic mansion on Fifth
avenue the "dugout." When the pros
pector does make his .spile" he keeps
his word and goes east, but a very little
while sees him back once more to the
frontier. It is impossible almost for a
man who has lived nearly all his life in
the wilderness to shut himself up sur
rounded by the restraints of society. He
simply stiles for the want OF fresh air.
The two Sheffiin brothers who discovered
Tombstone, Ariz., sold their mining in
terests for over $2,000,00O each, went
east, and in six months were back pros
pecting in the foothills of the Sierra
Madre. One of them, as I write, is
prospecting for gold in South Africa, and
another brother is looking for mineral
in Alaska. Peter Jeune, well known
French prospector, after years spent in
New Mexico, struck it rich in 1856, and
took trip to Paris. The ''only city worth
living in" as he used to tell the boys,
charmed him SO little that he is now
wandering through the mountains of
Idaho. Joe Dougherty, who after strik-
ing nothing for fifteen years, located
mine of argentiferous carbonates ON the
line OF old Mexico and sold out to
Senator Hearst and his partners for
100000, is also back after brief exper-
fence Of civilized life at 1.-THE bay" as Cali
fornians call San Francisco. The pros.
pector's life is one to fall in love with.
There is not man in the world to-day
more independent than the prospector,
and his hardships and dangers give to
his occupations zsst and SAVIOR that re-
lieves it from even suspicion of mono
tony.
In every mining state and territory of
the country the prospector may be
found. The charm Of prospecting is
that it requires very little previous
knowledge. and the outfit need not be
very expensive, except one cares to make
it 80. You will require for outfit Win
chester rifle. As caliber, and A or As
CdllUoT TotOitor. Ooits pucfWA a. huil-
bert and Smith & Wesson are the pat
terms used on the frontier, and either
will do, but the caliber must not be un-
der A if you don't want to be laughed
at as tenderfoot For your car
tridges get one of Col. Mills car
fridge belts mot the army pattern
which holds fifty rounds, and put your
revolver cartridges on the left side and
your Winchester cartridges on the
other. Have the scabbard Of your pis-
tOl so that you can carry it butt to the
front. You will find. after little prac-
tice, that you can draw your grln a
great deal quicker when You carry it
this way. To be quick on the draw is a
frontier virtue well worth acquiring for
\ n. II - Ill